Cable and wire cutter.



W. J. SHEEHAN & J. H. GILBBRTSON.

CABLE AND WIRE CUTTER.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 3, 1911.

1,01 8,274. Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

AITORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER J. SHEEI-IAN AND JOHN H. GILBERTSON, 0F GOALINGA, CALIFORNIA;SAID GILBERTSON ASSIGNOR TO SAID SHEEHAN.

CABLE AND WIRE CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 3, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WALTER J. SHEEHAN and JOHN H. GiLBEnTsoN, citizensof the United States, and residents of Coalinga, in the county of Fresnoand State of California, have invented a new and Improved Cable andlVire Cutter, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invent-ion relates generally to a cutting device which is employedin cutting the wire rope used in well drilling.

The purpose of the invention is to provide an efficient device forcutting the operating cable or rope when the rope socket, which carriesa suitable drilling tool, becomes stuck or wedged tight in the wellbore.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference denotecorresponding parts in all the views, and in which Figure 1 is a sideview of our improved device, showing it in operating position on thewire rope or cable; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof, theparts being in position just before the cutting member begins tooperate; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2;Fig. 4c is a vertical sectional view, showing the position of the partsafter the rope has been cut; Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a modifiedform of block member.

Our device comprises a body member A of substantially cylindricalformation, one side thereof being removed, whereby a channel D, havingside walls B and C, results. An elongated member E extends upwardly fromone end of the body member A and at its upper end is provided with asuitable threaded portion F, for engagement with a sinker bar oroperating cable G. The lower central portion of the body member Acontains a sub stantially cylindrical recess H, and movably within thisrecess is the block J, having an opening K therein for the passagetherethrough of the wire rope or cable L, to the lower end of which therope socket M is attached. Adjacent one end of the cylindrical recess H,and supported on a pivot member N which extends through the body memberA, is a knife member 0, having a substantially circular end P adaptedfor engagement with the bottom of a similarlyshaped shallow recess R inthe main body member A. The knife member 0 is provided with atransversely sharpened portion Q, thisedged portion being formed by themeeting of the opposite inclined faces S and T of the body portion ofthe knife member.

The upper end of the block member J is preferably curved as at U in Fig.2, this curvature permitting a sliding engagement between the free endof the knife member and the upper end of the block member.

The block member is held in position within the recess H in the memberA, and is guided in its movement therein by means of the screws or boltsV, engaging in the guideways WV on each side and adjacent the outersurface of the block member.

When it is desired to cut the wire cable L adjacent the rope socket M,our device is lowered into the well bore with the cable L extendingtherethrough, as shown in Fig. 1. When the block member J engages withthe upper end portion of the rope socket M, it will be forced upwardlyinto the recess H in the member A, and after a short travel within thisrecess, the upper end portion U of the block member will engage the freeend of the knife member 0, bringing the cutting edge thereof adjacentthe cable or rope L, and on further inward movement, will bring theseparts into the position shown in Fig. 4, thereby severing the rope orcable L.

The body member A will preferably be forged of soft steel while thecutter member 0 will be made of tool steel and the block B will be madeof tempered steel, thereby providing a device which is extremely durableand very efficient.

It is to be noted (Fig. 2 and Fig. 4) that the end of the knife member 0adjacent the pivot member N is in abutting relation with the member A,at the bottom of the shallow recess in which this pivot is mounted inoperative and also in inoperative position, thereby affording a firmbearing relation between the knife member and the body member, thepressure against the cutting edge of the knife member being carrieddirectly by the member A and not by the pivot member T.

Having. thus described our invention, we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent 1. A wire rope cutter, comprising a body memberhaving a recess therein, a block within the recess, the body memberbeing also provided with a smaller recess communicating with thefirst-named recess, a knife member mounted within the secondnamedrecess, with its end port-ion in engagement with the bottom of the saidrecess, whereby when the block member is brought into engagement withthe knife in cutting a cable extending through the body member, thepressure is transmitted directly to the body member.

2. A wire cutter, comprising a body memher having a recess in one endthereof, a block member movably mounted within the recess and having acurved upper portion, the body member being also provided with a smallerrecess at the bottom of the firstnamed recess, a knife member pivoted tothe body member, with its end portion adjacent the pivot in engagementwith the body member at the bottom of the said second recess.

3. A wire cutter comprising a body member having an upwardly extendingportion adapted to engage a sinker bar, the body member being providedwith a recess, a

block movable within the said recess, means being provided for guidingthe block in its movement, the body member being also pro vided with asmaller recess at the bottom of the first-mentioned recess, a knifepivoted to the body member within the said smaller recess, the endportion of the knife adjacent the pivot being in engagement with thebody member whereby as the block is moved the knife will be brought intoengagement wit-h the rope or cable passing therethrough, therebysevering the rope or cable.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

